students comprise a completely different
kind of neighborhood as does older homes
than high-rises and condos.
3. Transportation/Ease
How long will it take to get to work? Will
you be going with or against traffic? Is the
route easy to navigate? And ultimately how
much of your life do you want to spend in
your car.
Map and access your commute with these
helpful tools:
Trulia's CommuteTimes Trulia's
interactive map enables you to pinpoint a
location, then shows you the surrounding
commute times from which you can choose
whether you're traveling by car or using
public transportation. It's a great tool ifyour
looking at a commute within a specific area.
However, if you're traveling from one area
to another—for instance from San Jose, CA
into downtown San Francisco—it doesn't
map that distance.
Optimal Home Location: Green Real
Estate Tool
This tool takes the idea of
commuting to a whole different level.
Instead of showing you commute times,
it allows you to enter all the activities in
your life—from work, school, the gym to
your child's daycare—then shows you the
optimal place to live so you're daily needs
are met all within a commutable distance.
Once it's pinpointed the optimal place to
live, it shows you the average home price
for that area, cost of taxes, etc.
Walk Score Known for its easy-to-use site
Walk Score enables you to find the most
walkable and livablecommunities, also has
a tool that helps you locate apartments
and rentals that are within an easy
commute of your work or school or other
essential location.
Public Transportation: Is there public
transportation available as an alternative to
driving? During peak times, how often does
the transit stop? Ask a real estate agent in
the area the website that denote routes and
schedules for local transportation options.